SDA 1C Side Grill Repair

Pepper Lewis

I have a pair of SDA-1Cs on which the side grill panels are delaminating from the cabinet itself. Can anyone offer advice as to how to perform this repair?

One tricky aspect of the repair would seem to me to be keeping the grill cloth taut as the panels are adhered. Also, keeping the adhesive off the grill coth would also seem to be a bit of a challenge. Last, any advice on the adhesive to use? (black silicone would seem to be a leading candidate although the PL sealants also would seem to be a possibility).

Thanks for any assistance.

dorokusai

The side panel is made of pressboard...essentially cardboard. A plastic/metal putty knife works well to pry off the panel from the cabinet. Just work your way around it. You don't have much choice about the glue as it's going to be stuck to whatever it feels like. You may also lose some of the inside of the panel because the glue is usually stronger on the inside of the panel.

Just get it off, clean off the residue from the panel as best you can. Scrape off any remaining glue and debris from the actual speaker and clean it with a wet cloth. If you have some spots where the grill cloth has lifted from the panel, use some hot glue and flatten the area out with a putty knife. Hot glue hardens into lumps and will make the panel difficult to re-mount flat against the cabinet.

You can use whatever adhesive you wish but I've had great success with Liquid Nails. Apply it per the directions while the speaker is on its side and load up the entire side with weight of some kind. Exercise weights work very well but anything nice and heavy will work. Pay special attention to the ends and corners as they will naturally want to peel up again. Leave it overnight and you should be good for another 15 years or so.

Take your time, it's not brain surgery, good luck.

avguytx

I concur with doro. I used liquid nails to reattach the oak veneered side panels on my SRS2's and liquid nails works like a champ. Like he said, when you remove them with a putty knife, make sure you get under the glue on the speaker side as best as possible. It will want to take some of the particle board with it from the side of the cabinet if it works like mine did. Keep the glue thin that you reattach the grill cloth with to keep it flat on the panel so it doesn't stand off. Thankfully, the side panels on my 1C's are still 100% intact! Here's a pic of what I did on the SRS2 side panels as far as the putty knife goes.

Pepper Lewis

Thank you, dorokusai, for the speedy and valuable info...perfect outline of the process and tips on getting a "factory" look...really appreciate your taking the time to answer.

I now understand that you adhere the grill cloth to the panel with hot melt and then adhere that panel assembly to the cabinet with Liquid Nails.

Really good caution about the hot melt lumping so I'll make certain to flatten it out well with a metal putty knife. I appreciate the tip also on the use of Liquid nails.

I'll take care not to break the panel if its still partially adhered as it looks like that could be easily done (I think we've all done something like that...as well as putting a screwdriver through a woofer surround...I know I have done that more times than I care to admit...for most people, it only takes once to learn to take care when doing those types of repairs...I tend to be a slow study, however).

I'll use my trusty "cinder" blocks for the weight (piece of cardboard in between them and the cabinet...it's amazing how much I use those...they were propping up the car yesterday when I was doind an oil change).

Sounds like it's a straight-forward process...I'll take my time and, again, thanks so much for the advice.

PS these were a Craigslist find for $100/pair (I'm still pinching myself to see if I'm dreaming it) and I haven't yet listened to them...I'll do so prior to starting the repair...I'm curious to find out what you think about their sound quality...I've read they gimmicky sounding with the cable? I've heard a similar model some time ago without the cable and I though the sound was very good...in fact, I couldn't find much to quibble with.

Pepper Lewis

Thank you avguytx...appeciate the photo and the advice. Sounds like the "biggie" is keeping that hot melt "paddled" down...I'll make certain of it.

What do you think of the sound of your SDA 1Cs?...I'm getting anxious to fire them up with all this talk of them.

Thanks again for the valuable advice.

dorokusai

Pepper - If the interconnect isn't used, you are only hearing half the speaker. It's neccesary for SDA to work. I think its the best starter model in the SDA line. The larger ones don't sound much different, they simply throw a larger soundstage.

They are a steal @ $100 so have fun with the overhaul. There are some other "upgrades" you can search for on here that other members, including myself, have done in the past. Binding posts, tweeters, crossovers, end panel refinishing, etc.

avguytx

I'm sitting here listening to my 1C's right now as I work/surf and I think they are great sounding speakers. Did you get the interconnect cable with yours? You have to have it connected to get the "effect" of the SDA technology. I don't really know what you mean about "gimmicky" sounding with the cable because without it, the dimensional speakers on any SDA model won't work. And if you gave $100, that is an awesome deal! What kind of amp are you going to run them with? They do their best on some sort of separate power amp versus using an AV receiver that's designed for HT use. Also, make sure the amp is common ground before connecting the SDA cable.

Welcome to Club Polk...BTW.

Pepper Lewis

Thanks again...I've started doing some perusing already...I hope I attached the photo correctly (first time).

Pepper Lewis

avguytx...thanks for the welcome (hope I'm not wearing it out)...really appreciate the advice on the repair. Read your post after I posted the photo (glad it came thru)...yes, I did get the SDA cable...read the "gimmicky" comment in audiokarma (is that a swear word in this site?). Got the boxes and the manuals with them also...they are a 9 out of 10 cosmetically (once the grill repair is made...makes me anxious to hear them. I'll be using either an Adcom GFA 555 or pair of Carver 400t's to power them.

avguytx

Yeah, some of them at AK aren't as big in the Polk SDA stuff and they lean towards a lot of the horn speakers which I've had, too. I sold a pair of Altec Lansing Valencia 846B's because, well, I just didn't like them. To me, the Polks are more musical and don't see quite so picky about the amps you drive them with...to an extent. The Adcom GFA-555 will work quite well with the SDA's but you will want to read up about bridging a pair of amps on the SDA speakers...in this case, the 1C's. When you run those Carver's bridged, they are not "common ground" anymore and you'll have to buy/build what's called an AI-1 interconnect cable of which there is information in here about. The 1C's are 6-ohm nominal impedance which makes it a little close on the Carvers being able to handle in bridged mode. I had talked to Bob (Carver) about running my 1.0t's bridged to them and he said it should work fine as long as I'm not just driving the crap out of the amps and "peaking" the LED's. But, I am happy with them on just one 1.0t so far.

I also have a pair of SDA SRS2's (which are larger) and I had been using those until I started refinishing the cabinets. I also sent a couple of the mid drivers to Polk so they could evaluate them against the new 6509 mids that are coming in. I'm also waiting on the RD0-194 tweeters to come in from Polk as well, but they are on backorder for awhile. They (SRS2's) are sitting idle in a spare room at the moment until I can get them back together again.

dorokusai

The AK folks, bless them, also love alot of vintage gear noone else does. We all have a love for things that others do not, in any hobby, on any given forum.

Pepper Lewis

Thanks avguytx...I concur on the horn speakers...had a pair of Cornwall's and found the bass to be unlistenable...highs and mids were fine but didn't throw a precise enough image for me and sounded a bit too "PA" for my taste...I do like the nostalgic (is that a word?) aspect of decades old designs still sounding darn good when compared to today's speakers but I prefer greater accuracy. I have a pair of Heresy's now that, IMHO, are an overall better sounding speaker (but still not in the league of the well-executed newer designs)...all those Klipsh's are "lease-breakers" though, that's for certain.

I'll do some research on that interconnect...thanks for the forewarning...I'd hate to cook the Carvers or the Polks on the first day of listening. Would a pair of Adcoms present the same problem...in case I wanted to go there?

avguytx

Yep. Same problem with any form of bridged amplifiers IIRC. Unless, they can somehow share a ground from one to the other. Seems like I've read in here and other places that's possible but I could be wrong. Definitely do some searching in here and other places. I know others will chime in that are more knowledgeable than me. I still consider myself a newbie!

F1nut

read the "gimmicky" comment in audiokarma

From Gordon W. no doubt. Ignore it.

avguytx

Most likely. That or Tom Brennan.

Oh, by the way...Happy (belated) Birthday, F1.

F1nut

Thanks Kip